A Squally ride from Barbados to Martinique - Sailing Greatcircle (ep.242)

After 2 weeks in Barbados it's time to move on and we sail together with Outremer 51 Spekeend to Martinique

[@lifesailinc-lsi1120]

we are crossing keelwater again, love it

[@paulbadger6336]

“Slalom between the boats” perfect use of the term. I got it immediately. I enjoy your channel, your photography, your narrative, and music. Thank you

[@SxWerks]

You make me yearn for the sea. Just a great channel. Great atmosphere, low key and informative. When I hit the lottery I will be getting a 55 ordered immediately.

[@jenniferquang3570]

Love the long drone shots where you can actually get into the feeling of the boat sailing. Hate it when people do vids and cut to different angles every 2 seconds. Well Done :)

[@zzzxxzzz3248]

Thanks for sharing !

[@catamarankiapa1604]

Great sailing footage. Thank you!

[@ThoughtfulWander]

Nice camera job on the boat shots!! gets you right in the action!! 👍👍👊👊⛵⛵ Be safe Greatcircle sailing team!!

[@jacksbackable]

The drone footage definitely shows a better understanding of the size of the swells! Great average speed! I always find heading into the swell, tests the Stomach more. Thanks for sharing. 😎🏖🌴☀️🇦🇺

[@reginaldsisco2973]

Great video Marc and Marijke! Thank you so much for the exciting videos in 2021. I'm sure 2022 videos will surpass the adventures of 2021. I await the next video!💥💥💥💥👍🏾💥 Stay safe out there!

[@MarcelvanA]

Wat een mooie shots, en wat een performance 👌🏻

[@luxushauseragency]

Very enjoyable, especially the drone footage. Beautiful Yacht.

[@richardsimpson2599]

These video`s are Superb !

[@bertmacdonald337]

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar, Guys!

[@CatGreatcircle]

You too!

[@KitJBenn]

Keep the movie clips coming you lovely guys!! And have a great 2022!!👍👏👏👍

[@CatGreatcircle]

You too!

[@TB12710]

I enjoy watching your travels in this beautiful catamaran, love the soundtrack too. I hope one day I can do this too. 😊💯

[@CatGreatcircle]

Go for it!

[@TB12710]

@@CatGreatcircle I’ve watched a lot of KZbin videos on catamarans and sailboats, and listened to a lot of the ppl who own catamarans explain all their likes and dislikes and needs, I’ve come to believe the Outremer 55 is the perfect sailing catamaran, better than any other make or model. Your layout is really nice too, including your big monitor up front. I watched episode 136 as well, I bet your catamaran can reach speeds close to those reached on your friend’s Outremer yacht. I was previously in love with Oyster, yes they are still beautiful yachts however to me it’s about overall needs. This yacht meets every need, the perfect yacht. Cheers, be well. Mike, Jacksonville Florida. 😊

[@Povinhopt]

Merci, tous mes voeux

[@MK-gr9qz]

Nice sailing🤟

[@glasvezel2011]

De beste wensen voor 2022 en laat de bijzondere mooie footage maar komen!

[@CatGreatcircle]

Thx, jij ook!

[@Frank-E]

Thanks for sharing. Your boat looks really impressive and so does your sailing skills. Sailing a monohull I would really appreciate it if you would show us a bit more in detail on how you set your sail (angle), when to reef and especially when, how and to what depth you set your daggerboards - do you set them both the same? That would be great. Blessings from Norway. 😊

[@CatGreatcircle]

We don’t have a lot of experience with dagger boards so we’re just trying a bit and listening to different opinions and advices. We use them to prevent drifting sideways close hauled and close reaching but also with a side wind component when manoeuvring in a port. And we use them downwind as well in areas where we expect problems with fishing buoys or nets to protect rudders and sail drives

[@CatGreatcircle]

Some people say leeward down, some say both down. It’s a trade-off between drift and drag in low wind low speed situations apparently. We’re told to raise them a bit in strong winds and to get the leeward one entirely up in big waves.

[@CatGreatcircle]

Reefing is different on the different Outremers, on the 55 the first reef in the main is at 24 apparent downwind and 31 apparent upwind of course depending on sea state. Like on a monohull you can still feel it on the rudder when she likes to be reefed and in that area it’s more about the reefing area than that there will be a big difference in boat speed anyway so we try to reef early

[@CatGreatcircle]

Love Norway!

[@Frank-E]

@@CatGreatcircle Very interesting indeed. If the winds are very strong of the beam I would imagine that the daggerboards would not be all the way down. A friend of mine bought an Alubat sailboat from somebody circumnavigating. On their way back to Norway (this was before my friend bought the boat) they where severely knocked down and turned a 360 with the mast down through the ocean and back up again at the other side. This story was big news in Norway especially in the sailing magazines. When reporters reached out to Alubat for comments, Alubat said that the lifting keel should not be down in storms as it was. Reasoning behind this was that the boat would have "slipped/slided" sideways on big waves but instead the center board acted as a stumble board in breaking waves. I understand that a catamaran is different but still I think I would be careful with the daggerboards fully down in heavy weather. Just wanted to share that with you.

[@jeromepetit79]

Hi, nice vidéo as usual Please note that bay is autorised only 2d before and after hurican.

[@CatGreatcircle]

Can’t be too careful these days

[@tymanot]

Thanks for the Video. But these anchor spots would be way too busy for me...

[@CatGreatcircle]

Then you might like the next video

[@murrayandjeandunnettcobine4120]

Great to see you with a reach and how the motion of the boat is on this point of sail. I notice you had a lot of twist in the main. Is that to spill the wind at the top? Or can you not keep it in a plane because the mainsheet is at the end of the track and the boom is further out? or are the telltales saying this is the optimum? Great videos of 55 sailing with lots of wind! Regards Murray and Jean

[@CatGreatcircle]

No it’s just us experimenting as we saw the speed of the O51 doing just that. We don’t have any experience nor training in racing so for us it’s very difficult to determine what the ideal trim is. And the tell tales (to us) seem to have a mind of their own especially on a broader reach 🙈

[@aarem01]

Dank voor de super beelden en dat we mogen meevaren! Hoeveel moet de motor/generatoe op een dag aan om voldoende stroom te hebben voor alle apparatuur? Als ik de dronebeelden zie is er nog wel wat ruimte op het dak voor wat ‘minder efficiente panelen of is dat te dicht bij de mast. Mssch nog x het navigatiepaneel uitleggen voor de leek. Moeilijk om op iphone alle kleine lettertjes te ontcijferen. Geniet van de trip!!

[@CatGreatcircle]

De generator gaat alleen een (half)uurtje aan op bewolkte dagen (of op dagen dat de zeilen de panelen afschermen, en dan met name als we veel zware dingen hebben gebruikt (water heater, wasmachine, vaatwasser, oven..)

[@scarletbegonias2359]

Wow, that drone footage undersail is awesome. Considering that your boat is 55ft and it's lumping up and down while slicing through the water really gives the perspective of just how big those seas are. The video itself, the editing/music/presentation? Just top notch. Thanx for sharing this with us. ( How do you keep from losing your fingers trying to recover the drone?)

[@CatGreatcircle]

Marijke does carry a jacket and gloves since she got the props in her arm on the return Atlantic crossing in 2020

[@scarletbegonias2359]

@@CatGreatcircle I don't think my spouse would go for that.

[@CatGreatcircle]

🤣🤣

[@omega19uk]

Hi Marc...In the early drone shots of Spekeend it looked like she was stalling at the top of the waves, or was that just the camera angle.

[@CatGreatcircle]

Not sure, somehow he normally really knows how to trim his sails. We’re desperately trying to learn from him

[@rel53]

seems you won the race .... what was their excuse? :)

[@CatGreatcircle]

They’re not the “looking for excuses”-types but “you’ve got a bigger boat” would have covered it pretty well

[@thomasstuder1624]

Was the boat speed what it would give or what you were comfortable with? I would have thoughg with that wind at 120TWA the cat would have been able to go closer to 20kts.

[@CatGreatcircle]

That’s maybe a good question for the more experienced sailors on #1 and #5. For us in these waves it was pushing it enough. For 95% the reef in the main was not necessary and for 99% we could have kept the Code 0 on as well but we had over 30 apparent as well which would probably not have been a good idea with the Code 0

[@thomasstuder1624]

@@CatGreatcircle I will certainly not fault you for prudent sailing.

[@gavingrantham136]

Hi Mark, some great footage with the drone and the sail look wonderful. Question time, Now that you and Marijke have sailed across the Atlantic with both the L52S and O55 and you have spent what 3 plus years sailing on the Lagoon and now only 4 to 6 months with the Outremer, which of the two do you guys prefer?? Yes, the L52S does have the closed helm, is big and spacious but heavier, the O55 is lighter but faster.

[@CatGreatcircle]

It’s not black and white as we still think the 52S is the best Lagoon ever built for our purposes but the joy of sailing on the Outremer is difficult to beat. The light and upwind capabilities give way more flexibility and less motoring and the narrower hulls have more advantages than that we miss the extra space in the cabins. I would say we haven’t missed the helm station nor the tender lift at all but Marijke might still defend her favourite 52S items. The AST is really nice, in rough conditions the huge Highfield 390 does have its benefits

[@Frank-E]

@@CatGreatcircle I would guess that the O55 is much more quiet inside when sailing? If so it would witness a stronger build quality in my opinion.

[@CatGreatcircle]

Of course

[@gavingrantham136]

@@CatGreatcircle Mark it shall be interesting to find out what you have to say in three years once you have completed the world tour. In fairness, I have two choices and they are the O55 and the B526 and I am leaning toward the latter at this stage. Not quite sure if their prices are the same or not, maybe you could give some indication with plus or minus?????

[@gavingrantham136]

@@CatGreatcircle Mark, thanks for your valuable feedback, may the winds and the following seas point the O55 in the right direction. It would be interesting to hear your points of view after you have crossed the roaring 40' in a year or two from now. I would love to view the O55 one day, should you stop in NZ at some stage.

[@kennethyoung3911]

Ask Mark if he had a chance to dive on HMS Diamond yet? ;)

[@CatGreatcircle]

The destroyer?

[@kennethyoung3911]

@@CatGreatcircle the rock.

[@CatGreatcircle]

We do pass it in episode 244 but haven’t been snorkeling there yet. Marijke and I can’t dive but the guys on Surya do…

[@Sailing-alma]

Hi what kind of system you use cam with stick?

[@CatGreatcircle]

Insta 360 One V2

[@simbayukiwolf]

Better dolphins than those birds 😉

[@CatGreatcircle]

That’s for sure…

[@gonvinas]

Next , Punta Cana ?

[@CatGreatcircle]

No sorry we’ll hop in the direction of the Panama Canal